[Maddieman]

I was visiting my parents a few weeks back, and I re-discovered an Usborne book I got when I was around 10, about computer games and how they work. It was published over 20 years ago and talks about games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Asteroids and so on.

But what's particularly interesting is that the last page makes some interesting predictions on what games will be like in 10-20 years time.

Quote:

By the year 2000 you will be able to challenge someone hundreds of miles away to a game. The games will contain miniature radio transmitters and receivers which will transmit your moves and receive those of your opponent with very little time delay. Your opponent's moves will be automatically carried out in the liquid crystal display.

[Pictured is an illustration of a hand-held style chess board with a radio antenna sticking out of it]
....

The ultimate game will be a super-realistic computer simulation which takes place all around you in a special games cubical. The game...will have three dimensional effects, laser lighting, and quadrophonic sound.

Were they close?

Anyway, the point of this topic, is simply, in what way do you think computer games will evolve in the next ten to twenty years? (In terms of both hardware and content/software)

I mean, with all this talk around E3 about the Wii controller and it's possibilities (fishing! ) Do you think we'll see drastic changes to how we play games in the future or do you think the basic format will remain unchanged (besides graphics)?

For example, in recent years we've seen things like the Rumble pak/dual shock, Eye Toy, Dance mats, and the Donkey Konga bongo controller - all promising to revolutionise the way we play games (kind of).

Then there's the Internet, and people dying from playing Counter-Strike for 48 hours non-stop. MMORPGs offering virtual game communities for people to live alternative realities in; as well as make money by selling off levelled up characters. We've also seen/endured Steam, and newer technology offering faster ways to distribute games and demos online (such as being able to play while you download).

On the other hand, the basic console format hasn't really changed that much over the years. Sure the technology has changed, as have the capabilities; but it's still basically a box with a controller, that plugs into your TV. Likewise the keyboard, mouse, and monitor haven't really changed conceptually, since the Micro. You could argue that the most significant changes have been 3d graphics technology, online gaming, and the shift towards more adult/mature content in games (and the more commercial approach to their production); while gimmicky addons like lightguns and VR headsets have had a short lifespan.

So... will EA take over the world? Will Sony finally develop 3d/holographic TV displays? Will Nintendo find a way to genetically grow Pokemon as pets? Or do you think Microsoft will realise their dream to converge consoles with TV and PC to create the 'ultimate all-in-one entertainment system'? Will mainstream mobile gaming actually take off in a way that competes with console/pc games? And will games truly become episodic and distributed like TV shows and subscription channels? Or will the whole industry implode and die off overnight?

What do you think? (extra kudos awarded for drawings of your ideas of the future)

[AlianAnt]

This is a good question. A question that in recent years, I have really been exploring.

Obviously, we will see gigantic graphics jumps every four or so years, but thats a given. How we play the games is the big question.

I don't think were gona see full VR simulation for quite some time. The modren gamer, I belive, won't stand for a VR simulation untill it can handle decent graphics. Would you pay a ton of cash to play the VR version of Space Invaders? Maby, MABY, by the time I die, I might start seeing the idea of VR hitting full focus. But, I could be totally wrong. VR might be the next-next gen consoles.

The Wii controller should be a pretty big thing. Itill probably make a bigger movement away from conventional controllers with analog sticks, instead of something like DDR, where you just have your dance mat for that one game alone.

Consoles will probably remain 'plug and play' for a while. Just a box, that you plug into your TV, because thats what seems to be working real well.

But I think were gona see one extreamly large change in the next 50 or so years: professional gaming. Professional gaming is getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger. www.MLGpro.com reports every year they see significant increeses of participants for both games they run tournaments for (Halo 2, and Super Smash Brothers: Melee).

MLG even got the cable network channle USA to recoard and televise this MLG season, airing this winter. This is a gigantic step for professional gaming because its about to get a lot more mainstream, with televised events. Also, 5 top-end players this season were payed 250,000 dollars each to ONLY play in MLG tournaments.

Imagine: Halo Superbowl I or the Halo World Cup. Players making millions of dollars from contracts to play on teams. You sitting down with a bunch of your friends, in all your teams colors, to watch the championship match on live TV.

That, I think, is where games are going.

[RTsa]

My thoughts:

We'll get the photo realistic (or video realistic, if you like) graphics pretty soon. Then we'll get the physics to go with it. Then we need the controller (Wii's taking a step towards the right direction) and the proper display (3d hologram sounds nice) and something to fake the other senses beside vision and hearing. (hot & cold, touching, pain etc...)

And then we have VR simulation. Might take a long time, might come in ten years - who knows? Combine that with a MMO real-life simulator game (think of The Sims: New York <- millions of people living in a city) and we have a winner bigger than WOW!

Also, playing becoming a 'sport' of some kind might also happen, as AlianAnt said.

[Maddieman]

Professional gaming seems like an interesting area - I wonder if it'll affect how games are actually made, and how accessible they are (e.g special games made specifically for 'pro' events). The big hurdle, imo, is that videogame tv shows are nearly always naff as hell and too dumbed down. The few exceptions I know of being Gamesmaster and Bits.

Currently there are few if any real 'celebrities' in the games industry. Sure most gamers have heard of Shigeru Miyamoto, and various other prolific game designers; but outside the gaming community I suspect they're relatively unknown (besides their characters like Mario, Lara Croft, etc).

If games become more televised and more commercial, perhaps we'll see celebrities in this area as well? Not just developers, but gamers as well (if Alianant is right). It's also possible that like movie and music critics, we'll start seeing certain games reviewers becoming better known.

I'm not saying this is a good thing, however.

[AlianAnt]

I belive the movement tward video games becoming an "art" like movies are is enevitable.